Low down, no good LBS blues

If you look at both Park's and Pedro's catalogs about their workstands, you will see that they make a point of how big of a tube their's can clamp. Since seat posts dont come in 3" diamaters, part of the blame must be place on with the tool companies for implying that clamping the tubes is OK.

[vandeda]

Originally Posted by Attila175

If you look at both Park's and Pedro's catalogs about their workstands, you will see that they make a point of how big of a tube their's can clamp. Since seat posts dont come in 3" diamaters, part of the blame must be place on with the tool companies for implying that clamping the tubes is OK.

I disagree ... so it can fit tubes up to 3" in diameter ... someone working in a bike shop, who you would suppose has *some* experience working on bikes, should know better. If they don't, they're incompetent and shouldn't be working on an expensive, high-end bike that they can cause big $$$ worth of damage due to their ignorance.

I hate to sound negative, but we gotta take responsibility for our own actions, and not because Park says that their stand will work with tubes up to 3", which suddenly implies it's OK to clamp to any tube you'd like. If a bike shop worker damages a bike, it's his fault ... if he didn't have adequate training, then shame on the person who should have trained him. When we start blaming the manufacturers for our shortcomings, we wind up with frivolous lawsuits and warning labels like these: http://www.dumbwarnings.com/warnings.php?site=warnings

Dan

Originally Posted by vandeda

I disagree ... so it can fit tubes up to 3" in diameter ... someone working in a bike shop, who you would suppose has *some* experience working on bikes, should know better. If they don't, they're incompetent and shouldn't be working on an expensive, high-end bike that they can cause big $$$ worth of damage due to their ignorance.

I hate to sound negative, but we gotta take responsibility for our own actions, and not because Park says that their stand will work with tubes up to 3", which suddenly implies it's OK to clamp to any tube you'd like. If a bike shop worker damages a bike, it's his fault ... if he didn't have adequate training, then shame on the person who should have trained him. When we start blaming the manufacturers for our shortcomings, we wind up with frivolous lawsuits and warning labels like these: http://www.dumbwarnings.com/warnings.php?site=warnings

Dan

Do I think the companies should be held accountable? NO. Would I like to see them stop clamping tubes in their catalogs, YES.

There are few decent shops near me. About an hour from me is a college town with a few decent shops, but most of the mechs at one shop are college kids. While most of the stuff they work on will be mid-lower end, I still dont feel comfortable taking a bike to them. I have to travel at least an hour and a half to get to shops that I feel comfortable with.

[vaxn8r]

First of all, consider who is working on your bike. Is it a long time employee of the shop or a 17 year old with his first job? You have a right to ask "who will be working on my bike?"

You OUGHT to check your bike, not just when you get home from the shop, but also before any and every ride. Whose responsible? You are. A pilot checks his plane before every flight. We aought to check our bikes before every ride.

Some of you guys act like victims. Bike shops are not the big evil out there. If bike shops go down guess what? Our sport goes down with it. That's right, the internet shops are ONLY in business because of the shops that actually let you ride stuff, try stuff on , have stuff built up on the floor, bail you out when you break a spoke or rear deraileur. If the shops dry up, the trade shows dry up and so does the internet business. Honestly, we're being penny wise and pound foolish by doing the "end-around". I've heard people proudly say they to go try a pair of shoes on in a shop and then go order them from Nashbar. Or go for a test ride at the local shop and then order from Comp Cyclist or Colorado. That's great for you in the short run. But why in the world should the shop owner treat you with one grain of respect when you then bring in your bike to be fixed? What happens when he can't afford to stock Sidi's or carry Serotta or Calfee or whatever? We are all hurt by that.

Are all shop owners ethical? No. Obviously. Are they getting wealthy scamming people every day? Certainly not. Do they get tired of people expecting PERFECTION and nickle and diming them when they break some ultra-light "bike candy" they shouldn't have been riding anyway? Yeah, it does get old.

Folks, lets have some thoughtful replies here and quit piling on.

I'll stop now. Yeah, I feel much better....self righteously said

Vaxn8r, I agree with you about the importance of the LBS, and I don't read any of the posts on this thread as questioning anyone's ethics. I'm just shocked at the laziness and incompetence of shop staff I've encountered recently, after years of great service from mechanics who have left. What I see as common here is that many have tried to patronize local bike shops but have lost trust in their mechanics for good reason.

Of course there are some great ones out there, as several posts reflect. Just not here, and apparently not in a lot of other places, either.

I'll continue to spends hundreds of dollars every year in Davis bike shops on kids' bikes and gloves and jerseys and tubes and tires. But it strikes me as foolish to pay a third or more extra for cranksets and the like at a shops I no longer trust to install them. Why do that?

[Serotta PETE]

Originally Posted by vandeda

I disagree ... so it can fit tubes up to 3" in diameter ... someone working in a bike shop, who you would suppose has *some* experience working on bikes, should know better. If they don't, they're incompetent and shouldn't be working on an expensive, high-end bike that they can cause big $$$ worth of damage due to their ignorance.

I hate to sound negative, but we gotta take responsibility for our own actions, and not because Park says that their stand will work with tubes up to 3", which suddenly implies it's OK to clamp to any tube you'd like. If a bike shop worker damages a bike, it's his fault ... if he didn't have adequate training, then shame on the person who should have trained him. When we start blaming the manufacturers for our shortcomings, we wind up with frivolous lawsuits and warning labels like these: http://www.dumbwarnings.com/warnings.php?site=warnings

Dan

You are right on>>>>That would be like sayin that since there is a path to top of the mountain and I fall off, then it must be partially the fault of the person who built path!!!!.

WE must take responsibility for out actions. Park nor anyone else told us to put our bike into the "vice".

Sorry, this is one of my "sensitive" spots.

[Dekonick]

I am still asking: is it ok to put your frame/bike in your workstand by the top tube if you wrap the tube in cloth first, and barely clamp it? (I am just talking about cleaning the drivetrain, minor cable adjustments, etc... no wrenching (no torque)

My stand has a wide clamp (PRS-5) and I dont have that much seat post showing (carbon post)

I always thought it was better to NOT clamp a carbon post, and that to keep changing the carbon post out for an aluminum one could be just as bad. Every time you change the carbon post out, your release pressure on it, then when you place it back it again gets 'new' pressure. It would seem to me that this would potentially end the life of your post, or weaken it. I would assume that the Ti and steel frames I own would be just fine being held with 'light' clamp pressure (just enough to hold the bike and let you turn it around in the stand)

Am I wrong? If I am I guess its time to buy a Ti or Al post and not use carbon anymore. Not a problem with the compact geo's.

[Kevan]

a CF post takes with an adult male's butt perched on top, hitting pot holes and such, the pressure your stand's clapping performs is near nothing. Well, assuming your clamping pressure is well within reason. I repeat myself: I clamp my USE Alien w/o a problem.


Sure, if you really want to clamp a frame by the top tube, you can. Certainly a soft towel would be advisable, but considering you'll be turning your crank to clean/apply oil I would expect the frame to swivel (or try to) a bit within the jaws. This isn't rocketry... just use common sense and be careful.